Teachers aged over 60 are sent home
What you need to know:
- Gabriel Lengoiboni defended the decision to retain teachers who have reached the retirement age.
- Mr Lengoiboni said that the commission will now provide a list of teachers due to retire to the directors one year in advance.
- The commission has been in the spotlight after it emerged that it had extended the contracts of teachers whose retirement age had passed.
Teachers aged 60 years were retired on Friday.
This comes a day after Education Cabinet Secretary Prof Jacob Kaimenyi ordered the Teachers Service Commission to replace the teachers.
However, the circular to all county directors, which was posted yesterday on the commission’s website, was backdated to 1st July 2014, after TSC boss Gabriel Lengoiboni defended the decision to retain teachers who have reached the retirement age.
“As from January 1, 2015 and in adherence to the new directive, the commission will retire teachers on the date they attain 60 years of age whether it will be in the middle of the term or otherwise,” said the circular and which was signed by Mr Lengoiboni.
The TSC secretary said teachers’ birthday will be their retirement date.
“The commission will put in place strategies to ensure that retiring teachers are immediately replaced as they exit service in order to prevent interruption of service delivery,” Mr Lengoiboni added.
He said that previously they retired teachers in batches, corresponding with the start of school term that is, January 1, May 1 and September 1 of each year.
Mr Lengoiboni directed county directors to develop a succession management strategy especially for institutional heads by ensuring that they have data to identify school administrators to replace those leaving service.
“It is also important to advise school administrators to train those working under them in order to prepare them to undertake higher responsibilities,” said the secretary.
Mr Lengoiboni said that the commission will now provide a list of teachers due to retire to the directors one year in advance.
AGAINST DIRECTIVE
The commission has been in the spotlight after it emerged that it had extended the contracts of teachers whose retirement age had passed.
The move was against a directive by the Head of Public Service Joseph Kinyua in February to principal secretaries and other accounting officers to retire workers who have reached the age of 60 years.
Mr Kinyua instructed the officials to ensure there is a succession plan for all employees above 58years.
Commissioner Chairperson Salome Gichura has also defended the extension of the contracts, saying this was done to ensure a smooth transition.
